Cat in the Hat's Learning Library
A Random House series of Dr. Seuss-style rhyming nonfiction books for young readers.
Where Cat in the Hat's Learning Library comes up1 episode or test
- 1Borrow library booksEvery children's book on the topic
- 2Take notesWritten in notebooks first
- 3Write the rhymeNotes become Seuss-style verse
- 4Experts approveEach book checked for accuracy
From Tish Rabe, Cat in the Hat's Learning Library
What was said about Cat in the Hat's Learning Library
Research children's science books first, then turn simplified notes into rhyme. Tish Rabe wrote about 20 Learning Library titles, such as Is a Camel a Mammal?, by borrowing every children's book on a topic from her local library, since someone had already simplified the science.
She wrote notes in notebooks and only then put them into rhyme, and experts approved each book for accuracy. "I took out all the children's books on the topic."
Write rhymes so a factual change needs only a small art fix. When Pluto was demoted, her planet book had to change, so Rabe rewrote the planet mnemonic in a way that let the artist simply swap pizza boxes for nickels.
Test Seuss-style drafts by having children read them aloud. After Dr. Seuss died in the early 90s, Rabe wrote new Seuss books in his style, and when her kids stumbled on a word in a draft, she changed it.
Words like "family", which can be read two ways, and "meteor" proved hard for kids. Seuss used pure rhymes like cool and pool, though she allows a slant rhyme like go and home when the right word matters more. She has never spoken to her Seuss illustrator.
How to Write For Kids (Tish Rabe Interview)
Rabe wrote about 20 titles for it, such as Is a Camel a Mammal?, by borrowing every children's book on a topic from the library and then turning simplified notes into rhyme. Experts approved each science book.
Research children's science books first, then turn simplified notes into rhyme. Tish Rabe wrote about 20 Learning Library titles, such as Is a Camel a Mammal?, by borrowing every children's book on a topic from her local library, since someone had already simplified the science.
She wrote notes in notebooks and only then put them into rhyme, and experts approved each book for accuracy. "I took out all the children's books on the topic."
Write rhymes so a factual change needs only a small art fix. When Pluto was demoted, her planet book had to change, so Rabe rewrote the planet mnemonic in a way that let the artist simply swap pizza boxes for nickels.
Test Seuss-style drafts by having children read them aloud. After Dr. Seuss died in the early 90s, Rabe wrote new Seuss books in his style, and when her kids stumbled on a word in a draft, she changed it.
Words like "family", which can be read two ways, and "meteor" proved hard for kids. Seuss used pure rhymes like cool and pool, though she allows a slant rhyme like go and home when the right word matters more. She has never spoken to her Seuss illustrator.
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